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Avian Perspective

We Flew the Coop

Closing the Wild Bird Marketplace store at Springhouse Village Center was not a pleasant decision. However, when the landlord raised the rent by $20,000 per year, it left most other alternatives untenable.

When I opened the Wild Bird Marketplace store in 1994 I signed a six year lease that would expire with my planned retirement at 55. My intention was to then sell the business and continue in an advisory role.

During the six years at Springhouse, I developed a business with over 4,000 customers, and became friends with many of them. I especially enjoyed the interaction with customers and the sharing of information about birds, investments, politics and how to keep the pesky squirrels away from the bird feeders.

Because the community had been so supportive of Wild Bird Marketplace, I decided not to let the rent increase drive me out of business, so we decided to move our base of operations to the internet at www.THEBACKYARDBIRDSTORE.com. We will still be a Wild Bird Marketplace franchise and will still be carrying the birds’ favorite mixes in our blue, red, yellow and green bags with the Wild Bird Marketplace logo. We will provide the same outrageous service; a great selection of everything you need for your backyard bird sanctuary; monthly specials, competitive pricing

and FREE DELIVERY to zip codes 18000 – 19500. And if you live beyond this area, your delivery charges will be 50% of the standard UPS rate.

Over the course of six years, many of our customers were disappointed by the fact that our gift certificates could only be redeemed at the Springhouse, store. They wanted to share their pleasant shopping experience with friends and relatives across the country. Now it is possible to redeem gift certificates from any place in the United States. And if you have forgotten someone’s birthday or need a last minute gift (even on Christmas day) you can use our e-mail gift certificate.

Developing the web site during the last couple of months has been a difficult task. In fact I frequently commented that when I hiked the Appalachian Trail from Pennsylvania to Georgia last summer, I did not climb mountains as steep as the learning curves I have climbed to get this site operational.

We have gone high tech to provide you with the products that will enable you to escape from the hustle and bustle and enjoy the relaxing hobby of feeding the backyard birds.

We always welcome your comments and questions and will always do our best to provide you with well-researched answers.

Thank you for six successful years at Springhouse.

Droll A-6 Feeder - $29.99
As you prepare for the fall and winter bird feeding season, be sure to include a tube feeder for the smaller songbirds. We recommend the Droll Yankees A-6 tube feeder. This feeder was first manufactured in the 1960's and has been the largest selling tube feeder in the United States. This feeder and all Droll Yankees products come with a lifetime warranty against squirrel damage. Order your feeder now at this special price.

What Type of Feeder Should I Use?

Fall is a great time to make sure your feeders are clean and in tip-top shape for the up-coming winter feeding season. Birds are creatures of habit and will continue to frequent feeding stations that provide quality food in appropriate feeders. Birds establish their feeding territories in the fall and will continue to visit these stations throughout the winter.

Whatever types of feeders you decide to use for winter feeding, they should be put up well before the first snows. In our area, the birds of winter often have to endure harsh climatic conditions (you wouldn’t know from the last few winters). Birds set up their feeding territories during the fall and they routinely visit areas where abundant and reliable food can be found. A fully stocked backyard feeding station fulfills this requirement.

The following list of feeders will attract the greatest variety of birds during the winter: hopper-type feeders with platforms for larger birds, tube feeders for smaller perching birds, thistle feeder for finches, ground platform feeder for ground feeding birds as well as squirrels, rabbits and other wildlife, and a suet or nut feeder for the woodpecker family. With this variety of feeders you too should be able to attract at least thirty different species to your backyard.

The hopper type feeder is the traditional wooden feeder mounted on a pole. Make sure this feeder has a large enough platform to accommodate cardinals, blue jays and evening grosbeaks, as well as some of the smaller birds. Many of the finches and sparrows will also use this type of feeder. We recommend that this type of feeder be mounted on a pole with a squirrel guard, and that it be filled with a good quality mixed seed containing a large amount of sunflower seed as well as cracked corn, millet, safflower and nut meats. Our Wild Bird Marketplace Deluxe seed (the blue bag) meets these requirements.

A tube feeder filled with black oil sunflower seed or sunflower kernels is an excellent way to attract chickadees, titmice, house finch and purple finch. If you do not use a tray, this feeder will be used

almost exclusively by the smaller birds. A tube feeder can be either pole mounted from a crook-type pole or it can be hung from tree limbs. To eliminate squirrels from tube feeders hung from trees, use an overhead baffle or a squirrel-proof tube feeder with a wire mesh surrounding the tube.

A thistle feeder makes a nice addition to your backyard feeding station. One our favorites is the upside-down thistle feeder ($10.49). During the summer, this feeder is used almost exclusively by the American Goldfinches (the only summer bird that likes thistle and that can hang upside-down while feeding). In the winter, the goldfinch shares this feeder with redpolls and pine siskins which invade the middle latitudes from the north. A traditional finch feeder (right-side up) will also attract the winter finches.

One of the busiest feeders in my yard is the ground feeder – a wooden framed, screen-bottomed feeder on very short legs. This feeder accommodates all of the ground feeding birds and should be filled with mixed seed. Cracked corn, an inexpensive grain, can also be used in these feeders. Most of the sparrow family, including juncos and towhees, as well as cardinals, blue jays and perhaps even a wild turkey or pheasant will visit this feeder. I have even had a fox visit this feeder when I put nutmeats in it. Yes, the squirrels will also use this feeder but there is plenty of room to accommodate both squirrels and birds at the same time.

Finally a winter feeding station should include either or both a nut feeder and suet feeder. These feeders attract the insect-eating birds and are especially attractive to these birds during the cold winter months when insects are scarce. Woodpeckers, Carolina wrens, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice will be welcomed visitors at suet and nut feeders. We stock squirrel-proof suet feeders that can be hung from tree limbs without fear of having the squirrels eat all of the suet.

Set up your feeders early. Diversity of habitat and feeders is a key to attracting the greatest variety of winter birds. And don’t forget a source of water.

Droll Yankees 13" Peanut Feeder - $28.95
The Droll Yankees Peanut Feeder is a must-have addition to your backyard bird feeding station. Just hang this feeder, fill it with peanut splits or woodpecker mix and watch the woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, wrens, jays and other birds flock to this high-energy food source. This is one of my favorite specialty feeders.